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In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Nissan GT-R just received yet another power boost to its 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6. At 545 hp and 463 lb-ft of torque, it’s just 15 hp and 15 lb-ft more than before. That’s a smaller jump than the 45-hp increase from 2011 to 2012, but it’s still significant. Thanks to the extra power and some additional mods, the 2013 Nissan GT-R is now said to be capable of a high 10-second quarter mile, on a leaner gas mixture to boot.

Unless you’ve got an eagle eye like the lads from “CSI: Miami” and happen to be a hard-core GT-R fanatic, you’ll be hard-pressed to see the aesthetic revisions made to the 2013 model year car. The narrow brake ducts built into the front lip spoiler and the unique Rays alloys on the Track Pack special edition are about it. Inside, mod-spotting is a little easier as the Track Pack gets specially fitted slip-resistant seats and, well, no seats in the back. Spring rates at all four corners have also been modified to generate a more compliant ride while delivering even flatter cornering potential.

To sample this latest Godzilla, we headed 230 miles north of Tokyo to Sugo Sportsland raceway. Arriving in the pits, we were greeted by five of these new GT-Rs, sitting there like a bunch of road-going F-15 Eagle jet fighters. Strapping ourselves in and heading out onto the track, we noticed a difference in the ride. It is still firm for sure, but there is less harshness and crashing as it rolls over bumps in the tarmac.

As we approach the 7000-rpm redline in second, we start to feel the presence of the additional torque, particularly past 4500 rpm. With the throttle planted, it almost feels like you’ve got an extra turbo engaging as power overflows all the way to redline. More significant than the extra power is the beefier top end response, which makes the GT-R feel faster in every gear. What was a blisteringly quick car to start with is now just about unrivaled.

After we get some heat into the tires, we kick it up a notch by heading towards redline in third before using the Brembo brakes to tuck the nose into a long right-hander, then gun it on the way out. The extra rigidity built into the steering column is noticeable by virtue of even sharper response and improved pinpoint accuracy in the corners. We notice that the cornering g meter on the dash reads 2.3 g, and are not surprised to see a figure of 1.6 g pop up as we stomp on the brakes for a tight hairpin. We later hear that chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno’s team has recorded a maximum of 2.8 g in the corners and 1.9 g under full braking at the Nurburgring. Even with racing experience at the German track, the cornering limits of this new GT-R are so high that they necessitate a recalibration of your brain. It goes into a corner faster than anything we’ve driven, holds a faster cornering speed than any rival, and can deliver a quicker exit speed from any type of corner. The specially rated 20-inch run-flat Dunlops have the most unenviable job in the world of grip, but deliver traction levels like no other mass production tire.

If delivering ultimate thrills, mind-bending performance and handling is what the GT-R is all about, then the 2013 GT-R accomplishes its mission even better than before.

We then headed to the specially prepared and coned-off section of the track to try out the GT-R’s new sprinting ability. Launch control is enabled by switching the three buttons for drivetrain, suspension, and traction control to R-N-R. Then, with our left foot firm on the brake pedal, we push the throttle into the floor until the engine hits its 4000 rpm preset, remembering to remove the left foot from the brake in under 3 seconds to avoid entering the power-down mode that temporarily starves the engine of power. As the rear tires fight for grip, the GT-R hunkers down before throwing us hard back into our seat as it launches like an F-18 catapulted off the deck of an aircraft carrier. Without even trying to maximize turbo spool-up or optimize gear changes, we still manage a 2.95-second time from 0-to-60 mph, but don’t quite have enough straight track to set a usable quarter-mile time. Back at the pits we learn that Mizuno’s team, using 96 octane gasoline, set a 0-60 time of 2.7 seconds and a quarter-mile sprint of 10.8 seconds, both significantly quicker times than the previous GT-R’s 3.1 and 11.1, respectively.

Unlike the U.S-spec model, the right-hand-drive Japanese-spec model we’re driving gets a world-first asymmetrical suspension setup. Designed to counter the unbalanced nature of the right-hand-drive car caused by the right-side mounted transfer case and driveshaft (something Mizuno wanted to address from the beginning), this trick setup increases the front left spring rate while reducing the right rear rate to generate a flatter, smoother ride. This spring rate tweak actually makes the front end feel firmer and more responsive — especially on a high-speed right-hand turn. Don’t expect to see this setup on the left-hand-drive U.S. spec car, as Mizuno doesn’t think it is needed, likely because the left-seated driver offsets the weight of the drivetrain components.

Interestingly, the GT-R felt marginally flatter through Sugo circuit’s twisties, but displayed a slight tendency to oversteer near its stratospheric limits, something it was less prone to do in the previous model. It is readily controlled by a quick dab of opposite lock.

If delivering ultimate thrills, mind-bending performance and handling — all for under $100,000 — is what the GT-R is all about, then the 2013 GT-R accomplishes its mission even better than before. When a Kuwaiti sheik orders three GT-Rs on the spot after a test drive in Abu Dhabi, you know Nissan must be doing something right.

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